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Hi there,
Can anybody help with I.D. of this vase. It is heavy, so I think it maybe Ironstone? The blue dragons artwork seems to be under-glaze while the other colours seem to be a type of enamel? that is proud of surface. There are no I.D marks on this piece although there are some oriental symbols on top rim (anyone de-cypher?). Would it be described as "famille vert"?
PS The base does not seem to be glazed properly.
Thanking you for your interest/or help.
Dave

Dave,

Term 'famille verte' is for very fine decoration using refined transparent enamels, late 17th and early 18th century before Chinese began using some opaque enamels introduced from Europe by French Jesuits.

Since then many different-hue green enamels used with other colors, not at all same as 'famille verte'. Just because has some green not mean 'famille verte' decoration.

You can see on base of yours where decoration overlaps. Is printed on using dampened paper that had cobalt-blue pigment printed on to transfer design. In yours, transferred not very well, and design not neatly symmetrical. Design fuzzy with very-quick added surface decoration.

Yours has 6-character Ming dynasty mark on rim but your piece hundreds of years later. Reads (right to left) Da Ming Wan Li Nian Zhi "Great Ming Wan Li Reign made". Not common to see Wan Li reign mark on recent product, but at least is different from the very common Chenghua (Ch'eng hua) mark on recent pieces. Have never seen genuine Wanli reign mark horizontal on outside of piece like yours printed.

Thick molded porcelain can be heavy like white European or USA 'ironstone'.

Could be made Taiwan, Macao, China, Singapore. Might have had a sticker saying where made, if exported.

Think of it as a learning adventure. Are many books you can study to learn history porcelain made in China, some booksellers sell on internet specialize Asian art.

Good luck,
Cal

Thank you very much for your response, everything you said in your message makes good sense to me. I wonder if you could respond again and tell me when you think this vase was made.
Thanks again,

Dave

Dave,

I think 1980s-later. Such items made early 20th century at least could show recognizable animal, even if not drawn exactly like earlier. Search this forum, you see what dragons should look like. You also see how 'flames' should look, not drawn on yours by person skilled with brush-strokes.

Also color of red enamel not like earlier iron-red, but know can always be different color from different camera.

Have been so many factories making imitations, hard to say when or where a poor one made. If this quality typical that factory product, maybe not in business long ;-).

Good luck,
Cal

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